Stopped by here Friday to see a friend DJ at happy hour. I used to DJ here when it was Home and they haven't really remodeled so I had a dabble of PTS but other than that--mediocre. I'm gonna sound like a bitch and so be it--it takes a lot to impress me when it comes to clubs/bars. I don't mean I need a bling-a-thon, but the bar, music and people better be on point. Sadly Ultra is just another case of a cheap re-vamp masquerading as an upgrade. My friend is an awesome DJ--no disrespect to him. But I'm a 30-something and when I ordered my extra dirty martini the bartender gave me rail vodka (gag) and didn't even bother to ask what I preferred (top shelf was on special, too). The bouncers are douche-bags in black polos with that too-tight-in-the-arm thing going on. Not sure who the owners are. Only stayed for about an hour and a half. They had a little buffet thingy going on but I didn't try it--not into wings and I'd been scarfing Haagen all day over at the Renaissance. read more

Kelvin! When I tell yal Kevin is that man he is! Please see him for anything you need. He helped my friends beyond measure on NYE! I am definitely going to have my birthday there because of him! read more

Great club deep downtown in DC. Ordered a VIP table and even though they couldn't find my name right away the door group took me at my word. They showed all of us in with no fuss and had us on the floor where everything was right away! Everyone on the staff from management, security and wait staff was both helpful and fun. We had a great time, the music was right on and we didn't have any real problems the entire night. I'd recommend skipping the line and going VIP if your in a group, but I don't think they really turned anyone back at the front door. It's a big place and only drunkards and fools got tossed. All the negative reviews seemed silly onece we were inside. Give it a try if your on the fence, you'll find much to love. read more

UltraBar is great for the 18 - 21 year old set. Seriously. When I was 18, I loved this. Tello/Rainbow clothing, lots of glitter, multiple rooms, dancers serving Jello shots, the neon lights that scatter over your body, fog, etc....you get the picture. So, yeah, Ultra is great for that set. Not so much for me, but I was only there to support a friend. Didn't stay long, didn't drink, didn't pay to get in, didn't stand in line. Thankfully. read more

Terrible. I'd give it a zero if I could. F+. Home/Ultrabar is a disappointment. I constantly have to remind myself not to go there whenever a friend tries to invite me to a District Ignition party. Though the music is good, the venue is god-awful. As others have noted, Ultrabar lives and dies off the lines it strings in front of its doors. To have a line creep along at such a slow pace (+30 minutes) on a weeknight, only to be greeted by an empty club is ridiculous. They manage to kill whatever buzz I had before I even entered. The kicker was going to a friend's b-day party a while back. She got everyone on a the guest list, and I arrive at 10 pm on a Saturday, an full hour before the 11 pm cut-off. Needless to say, an hour was not enough to get me into the club. Before the guestlist cut-off. Everything just stopped at 10:30. We stood, motionless for half-an-hour. Then, at 11:01, everything flowed. Everyone got in, only to be told they'd have to pay. Screw this place. The hallway-like layout doesn't facilitate dancing as patrons continue to move through the club through-out the night. read more

I'm willing to grant a nightclub a bit of license to create buzz for itself -- rude doorpeople, expensive cocktails, always valuing form over function in the bathroom -- fine. But ultrabar's fake line is just too much. They'll make you stand in line for 45 minutes even when no one is inside. It's insane. The line, as near I can figure, serves them two purposes: 1) make it look like a lot of people want to be at ultrabar and 2) it pushes people with passes over the 11:00 threshold to increase their cover haul. How do they get away with this? I don't know. I had forgotten how bad it was when I tried to go last weekend. We would have gladly paid the cover just to get in, passes be damned, but instead we just stood. And after about 20 minutes, we just left. read more

The worst club/bar in the city !!!! I had gone to almost all the nightclubs in town and had never experienced such poor environment. Guards at the door are extremely rude and inside it's a lot of kids in the building!!! Such a daycare vibe, and behind the bar nothing but local hoes acting like they running the White House plus they tip themselves overall the worst of the worst ! Please I advise not to waste your night in this low budget atmosphere!!! read more

Ok, we all know that Washington DC is a historical city, no? Well, I'm here to tell you that there is also a hoooooooooooot historical night club out there as well. Yelp, you guest it right. It's called ULTRABAR! Ultrabar is one of the oldest night clubs out there in Washington, DC. Now, as an experienced nightlifer as myself. A typical life expectancy for a night club in Washing, DC., is about 2-3 years (if they are good). If a night club is great, well they would last to about 5 years. What does this mean for Ultrabar? Need I say more? This place has been in business for the last 15 years and it's still growing strong!!! Ultrabar is like the great, great, grandfather of all night clubs in Washington, DC. Come check it out for yourself, ladies & guys. I can guaranteed you that you will not be disappointed Oh, by the way, Friday nights & Saturday nights are the hottest nights for Ultrabar!!!!!!! read more

I thought this club wasn't too bad. I enjoyed my time there. The line to get in was pretty long but I think security got everyone in within a good amount of time. Bar tenders were so nice as well. Music was great. It was a little crowded but It's to be expected. Overall I think it was fun. read more

good small night club, though a lot of craters in the dance floor where people should be dancing, it seems people come here in groups, I usually only go here with a group of friends rather than a few people, if you have a date you can bring her here after dinner w/e, the lines aren't too bad if you get there early, there is a narrow hallway downstairs with seating built into the walls where you can chill with your friends if you get tired of the noise on the main floor. The top level of the club (idk if thats vip or whatever?) has the best music, they play good music on the main floor too. But if you are a dude you are better off skipping this place unless you are there with a group of girls to dance with, since like I mentioned before this is kind of a cliquey club where people don't tend to socialize with other groups much. read more

I went here a handful of weeks ago with a big crowd from meetup.com. I had previously tried to attend, but looked at the line, the people who made up the line, and made my way elsewhere in the city. Pros: -3 floors with decent DJs -Nice looking facility -Decent floor space for dancing, plus subs to dance on for the fairer sex Cons: -Its an 18+ club, emphasis on the 18. Underage kids just sit there in a circle, look at each other, and think people of the opposite sex have cooties and run away from them while giggling -The bouncers are too lax with letting people in. Dress to impress, people! -I'm glad I'm not a lady. The number of creepy guys just sitting in the corner and undressing women with their eyes creeped me the hell out. Its really a decent venue, and nicely located near Verizon, but the crowd absolutely kills the flow of the place. Make it 21+ to get in and have stricter dress policies, and I would come back. If not, I'll go dance my butt off at another spot. read more

Okay so I hit up Ultra Bar Sat. 1/15/11...and well...lets just say if your over 21 going to a club with the 18 and up crowd is a little immature??? I just could've done, personally, with out the "kids". So may fault on that...which is why the rating is not 2 stars. Now what wasn't might fault... Ultra Bar folk on here...why advertise false information? Don't' say on the flyer no waiting and line....and you have people waiting in line for more then 10...15...20...mins. I understand the whole make a crowd to lure stragglers walking by...but after 20 mins and nobody else has shown up why keep us out there? it was only FIVE of us...that was lame...we could've been the fab five enjoyin' ourselves for those LOST 20 MINS!!! So I would like an apology for not being upstanding with what you advertise...if the open bar started at 9 and we don't get in till 9:30 shouldn't it had been extended??? Lame.... OK Next! I did enjoy the bar tender who looked out for us rush drinkers...I do appreciate that...and I appreciate the tall black guy down on coat check...he saved us on many occassions..reward both of these men plz. and lastly the coat check girl was very flexible and sweet...I liked her too! Folks shouldn't hinder people they should help...FYI in getting rave reviews...k? Lastly...stop crowding up the place!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why on Gods green earth are you crowding the club so badly that people can't move freely??? That f' ups the club experience if you can't walk around and find someone to dance with...FIX IT! Thats all...but never again. read more

I remember now why I hate clubs = Ultrabar DC Glad I didn't pay cover. read more

I went with some friends to have some fun, I'm in the military and never been to Washington so I thought it would be cool to go here for the night, as soon as I get to the bouncer to verify my ID he gets hostile saying that I need a passport to get in because my Puerto Rico ID is not valid. As I tried ti explain to him that I was a US citizen and that a Puertorican ID is valid in all 50 states including territories he got said "I told you to bring a passport if you want to get in!" I got embarrassed because all my friends were right there and there was a chance that they wouldn't let me in because of that. My friends and a couple of people from the back started shouting and calling him a racist and that Puertoricans are US citizens, idk if he tough he was about to catch some heat so he let me in and just said in a very aggressive manner "imma let you in this time but you need to bring a passport for next time". Not gonna lie, the place is lit and I loved it, had lots of fun (that's the only reason I'm giving it 2 stars) but that early interaction with the bouncer was just distasteful and inconsiderate. read more

Finally getting around to writing a review for Ultrabar! When I went in for the first time I have to say I was a little lost. There was no way to figure out exactly which way to go.. up, down, up more..? There are four main floors with different music on each one. Once we figured it out though I realized there was something for all of my friends in the group. Everything from latin music to house was to be found. Walking in the basement was interesting, I later learned that it's a converted bank vault. Music was good, although pretty loud, and everyone was dancing and having a good time in general. It was a great crowd, pretty even guy/girl ratio although Chroma (4th floor) was almost all girls, amazing! They bring in pretty big DJs on a regular basis. I would be complaining about the length of the line but I figured out the hard way that if you sign up on the guest list it goes much quicker. Drinks are pretty cheap for Northwest considering that this place is pretty nice, far from a dive with lasers, fog, lighting galore. Door staff was pretty courteous although you can tell it is run a bit like a machine. At least that means I'll be safe inside. Bar is pretty busy, sometime a little hard to get a drink but it is a packed club after all. I found that tipping well meant that I never had to wait too long. Can't wait to be back this Friday :) read more

I will never ever come to this place. They charged all of my friends the same credit card charges and it was incorrect. The hostess quoted us different prices and added on additional fees so she can get a bigger tip. The manager is rude knowing damn well he wouldn't be tough if the bodyguards weren't there SCAM ARTISTS and RIP OFFS....BEWARE..CHECK YOUR CREDIT CARD FOR FRAUDULENT CHARGES read more

My friends and I went here last night to celebrate our birthdays. My time was pretty much blahhhhh. The decor is really nice and modern. Everytime some drunk idiot spilled their drink and fell there was the crew coming by to mop it up to make sure no one was hurt. Bartenders were extreme friendly and helpful. Bouncers weren't rude. DJs played "old school" music to me. If I pay $20 to dance for less than 4 hours I would appreciate not listening to music that came out in 1999-2006. I didn't hear not one current song. We also passed through an area with slow jam Latin music playing. Really!? -_- I think the dress code that night may have been laid back because people were in football jerseys and jeans. I'm hoping it was a themed night. Inside was ridiculously hot and the only cool place was on the main floor where they played techno/fist pumping music so we stayed in that section majority of the time. Drinks weren't outrageously expensive either. If you like sweaty drunk patrons having sex on the sofas and against the wall, this is the place for you. I probably would go back if there was a happy hour or something with a lower cover charge and the people dressed better and knew how to control their alcohol read more

Compared to other places I went to in DC, this place is pretty cool. There are a total of 3 floors with different music played on each floor. The place is overall fairly small compared to other clubs I have been to. The people are diverse in ethnicities and in age. The reason I say age is because this bar is 18+. They do have a cover which is $20 for all ages and their drink prices are a little up there! Although if you are a fairly attractive female, you CAN get in for free. It is a bit stuffy inside. The bouncers are extremely nice and helpful. They have plenty of bars and does not take long to get a drink. Have a mix of hip-hop/top 40's music, Go-Go (DC term for house, techno, etc.), and Salsa/Meregue/Bachata/Reggaeton music. I would recommend checking it out. read more

Got a table on the hip hop floor and really enjoyed the night. Staff was great about reserving the table and getting us in quickly, always great to skip the line.The service was decent, the bottles coming out with sparklers is a nice touch. The music was fantastic danced all night. Even spent some time on the main floor and the EDM was nice as well. However, the crowd was a bit sketchy. I don't love places that let in underage kids. I don't think I would have enjoyed the night if we didn't have the table and separate dance area. The few times I was walking or went to the bathroom, I had more than a few guys just grab me. As previously stated in other reviews, security does not seem concerned about guys harassing girls but hey they did do a nice job of keeping people out of the tables area. read more

This place was a definite let down compared to the other DC nightlife spots I've been to. My friends and I arrived around 11:30 and the crowd out front was insane; I'd say they took up 1/3 of the block. Luckily, by throwing out the right name and being sharply dressed, my group of 7 got in with no problem. As we entered, the main area was already packed so we made our way upstairs. The music wasn't what I expected... a lot of old club hits and wack top 40. The bar wasn't very crowded and the drinks weren't too expensive for a DC club. As I headed down to the lower level, I noticed X's on people's hands and then realized why there was all that hype outside and a lame party inside, "it's 18+"!! I really can't imagine recommending this place to anyone. If you're not 21, throw a raging house party, if you're of age, go to Josephine's. read more

Stayed at the Trump international and went out to the Ultrabar. Bought bottle service to get in and not wait in line and forgot my card and ID. Called back next day after returning home and after a $350 bill they wouldn't mail me my ID and card!. They don't open until 10pm so couldn't get in morning. They insisted I come get it personally when I'm three hours away. Fortunately trump concierge went and got for me. There was a lot more to report that isn't positive but basically this place is run by extremely unprofessional people. read more

My friends and i decided to go to Ultra bar this past weekend...and i have to say that i'm not impressed. The line to get in was long, when you would finally get up to the bouncers they were rude and very pushy. Throughout the night i had problems with a very grabby guy and when i finally approached security they wouldn't do anything about it. The place was downright dirty and sketchy. I finally decided to leave with my friends early because we went having a good time. I don't plan on going back anytime soon. read more

I came here about 2 years ago for a friend's birthday celebration. There are two-levels, but BOTH dance floors on each level are sooo TINY. Especially when more and more people are crowding around the bar, the dance floor is gone. You can barely maneuver around without bumping into someone! Not only that, the entire club was filled with middle age men hitting on 18-21 year old girls. Kinda sketch if you ask me. I haven't been back there since, and do not plan on going back! read more

Best medium size nightclub in DC on Friday and Saturday night. They have a great sound system, loud and lots of deep, tight bass. Great lights too. 4 dance floors with different music on each. They also get good DJ's most nights. This is not a dive club, the place is clean and well run, with plenty of bathrooms too. But you will want to get on the list or come early if you don't like to spend hours in line, they hold the line until well after midnight sometimes too, so really you better be on the list if you don't like lines. The 20$ cover is also avoidable most nights by signing up online in advance, and showing up early. Don't get me wrong, this is a DC nightclub, not NYC or Miami, but please have realistic expectations as there will be some hot girls(and guys too I'm told), but there will also be more annoying guys than anyone would want. They have hot bartenders that can actually pour a good drink too. Thanks Whitney, Erica, Cilia, and anyone else I may have missed. (You better tip well if you want a good drink, they have plenty of tipping customers, so if your not one, get out of the way.) Drink specials are available most nights, but are not advertised well. Comfortable couches are available with a minimum bar tab. Most nights it's 300$ Min for a table, gets 6 people in with no line and cover, and will get you 2 bottle's of mid tier alcohol. Of course you need to add in DC tax and tip too. If you have 4-6 friends, and your really gonna do some drinking, this is gonna be your best bet, plus you look like a VIP. Security is very good to, they can be quite surly, but then again, you don't want them palling around with the drunk people. Many of them are actually DC police, this is a good thing!!! WARNING: #1.This is not a lounge! (It's crowded and LOUD, and people will bump into you) #2. You will not be able to sit down ANYWHERE unless you get a table! #3. Forget the open bar, it's a scam, No one gets in before it ends because they hold the line. #4. You will pay at least 10$ for each drink, tipping 20% or more is the norm, if you do not tip 20% do not cry about shitty drinks, the bartenders talk, moving to a different bar does not fool them, they know who you cheapskates are. #5. The coat check is always a nightmare, so you may want to leave it home, or in the car. #6. If you are a hot girl, people will hit on you, and possibly more, just find security if someone acts inappropriately, don't make a big stink. If you are not cool with any of the above items, please stay home!!! You ruin this kind of place for the rest of us. All things said better club than most. Hence the 4 stars from me. read more

I've been here before but Today I experienced the worst bartenders ever. First the blonde bartender on the Spanish floor was Given no authorization to charge me for a drink I did not order. I asked for a basic rum and coke and she proceeded to tell me about the 25$ minimum which was fine and then I asked her if my tab was able to transfer floors. Then she made the decision to close my tab by charging me the most expensive rum on the shelf without asking me. I spoke to another bartender on the same floor about it but she also told me "well we don't get paid, no offense but that's not my problem especially when I said basic rum and coke. I am not Happy about being charge 26$ when it was 9 dollars a piece and I would like my Money back. PSA The bartenders here don't ask for your authorization and try to charge you with things you did not ask for and don't want to refund so don't drink here. read more

I went to Ultrabar last weekend, and I got to say it wasn't half bad. The music was pretty lively, the bartenders were extremely nice and the local patrons weren't half bad either. The venue itself was just ok. It was actually really cramped. It almost seemed like a crowed frat party, creepers and all. They had 2 maybe 3 televisions all around the dance floor, which play the music video of the playing song, (I hope that makes sense). One thing that really got me was the mirror behind the bar. When you first walk in, the room looks absolutely enormous, but once you have been there for a while you slowly realize that there is hardly any floor space. The bar literally takes up about 1/4 of the floor, which leads to many accidents and uncomfortable interaction with other peoples arms, chest...and other things. There are two levels. You walk in on the second level which plays mostly top 40 and reggae tone kinda stuff. The first level/basement plays house and dance music. However, the 2nd floor was pretty much empty when I went. Outside of the dance level on the first floor there are really comfortable lounges, with a nice view of a rather large aquarium. The seats are pretty nice I'm not going to lie. The drinks are 4 bucks a pop, and the cover charge is $25 bucks for guys, and I think about $20 for girls, but I'm really not sure, I went on ladies night and all of the chicks I was with had the flier printed off. Its pretty pricey, and I wouldn't recommend going there weekly, but if you haven't been you should go at least once. All in all I would say that I had a pretty good time, however, I would recommend going with a rather large group of people. If you go by yourself you are definitely not going to have as much fun. Especially since most of the people come with significant others or a large group...so if you are trying to get your freak on with a random stranger, I would say take you business elsewhere. read more

I went to a private event here before the bar opened which was a good experience. I.e. the bartender was nice and efficient, the space was clean, etc. But after general admission started it went downhill. As someone in their late 20s, the vibe of the club was not what I expected or enjoy. It was a Friday night, so it was 18+ night and wow were there a lot of people under 21 who had clearly pre-gamed despite it only being 10:30pm. And the DJ music seemed to be for people with incredibly short attention spans, i.e. songs would play for 30 seconds and then switch. Going into the evening I was excited to see how their floor with salsa music was, but we were told it wouldn't open until 11:30pm. My friend and I didn't make it that long and I won't be going back. read more

Small, but nice club in the Chinatown area. Went there early (7:30 pm on a Friday) through Things To Do DC (www.thingstododc.com) for a group tango dance lesson. We were invited to stay afterwards for no cover charge, so we figured we'd take advantage of the offer. The bouncers were cool enough to stamp our hands so we could duck out, eat some food, and then return. When we got back around 11 pm, it wasn't a particularly exciting atmosphere. So many people (mostly dudes) just standing around and playing wallflower. Not a whole lot of dancing. Me and my lady tried to fire up the dance floor (we're known for that :)) and only a few people/couples joined us. After about 45 minutes, we dubbed the place "done" and left. read more

Lets be honest people I come from Australia where the music for trance and techno is amazing and there are plenty of clubs that supply it, but when I went to UltraBar it had to be one of the most awkward clubs I have ever been to and I will tell you why. - The girl to guy ratio was at least 9 guys for every 1 girl - Their was more lesbian girls then straight (not that I mine just made it harder) - THE DJ'S ARE VERY PATHETIC AND HAVE THE WORST MIX'S - People act like the DJ's are fucking amazing - It is like a 5 level club and only one room is packed - The Dj's Sucked In Australia clubs that play trance music or techno music have high expectation from the locals and if they are shit they wouldn't last 6 months and I don't know how Ultra bar is stiil opened. This was a Thursday night if anyone was asking read more

I went last night with my boys and it was super fun! Great staff and great vibes from this place! Definitely coming back again!! Only thing I would i would change though is to have more lounging areas but regardless we definitely had fun! read more

Horrible system of getting in, they take forever for no reason and ignore you. The bartenders (the women) and the bottle girls are the only reason this place gets even one star. All the men are creepy and the will violently shove you no matter how small you are. DO NOT GO!!!! read more

Omg were do I start I wish I could give them double stars from the time I contacted them about wanting a table they were on it very professional very polite and very on point .Now let's get into the night of the wife's dirty 30 party all I can say is epic from the time I walked up to the club I was handle like I was a alist celebrity I would recommend this place to any and everybody my table and my service was beyond my expectations read more

I had to come here after passing it on day downtown with friends. UltraBar is a great bar in Manhattan, NY so I said let me see DC's version. A month later I got to take someone out after effortless convincing, my friend came to visit from Arizona anyway. Hahaha! I just forgot about it until I heard it on the radio. There was a long line out the door but to me that's sometime a good thing. Once inside the music was good and the drinks was even better. People in DC are very social if you don't come off the wrong way. Back to the bar. Service was fair but waiting for service to way to long at times. I loved the decor/lighting/theme. I would love to go back again but I hope for less people next time. Who am I kidding, I love the crowd. :-) read more

Not really my scene, but still it was somewhat enjoyable. Four floors of music, each equally un-air conditioned, scantily clad women, men looking to get some action. They charge $4 for water which is nuts (and they don't serve tap). read more

I was prepared for disappointment, but I have to say that I rather enjoyed my night out at Ultra Bar. But there is no doubt that my pleasant experience was because of the following: 1) I went with a group that had a V.I.P table that was upstairs on a loft looking over the main floor (and not on the main floor itself crowded with people) 2) I showed up around 1 a.m. 3) Since we were on the V.I.P. list, they let us in without having to wait in a long line 3) A person in our group who set us up on the V.I.P. works for the place 4) I didn't pay for overpriced drinks because the V.I.P table was set with an abundance of drinks If done right, I'm convinced one can have a really good time here. The laser lights add some flare and the music can make you want to dance. read more

They served Fiji water so that was bomb, but other than that I was so glad that we came here without having to ever pay cover. From the decor to the music it was lame - like one of those places that was trying really hard to be cool but failing miserably and falling into the depths of the status quo. "Cyclone" blasting in a cheap concrete club with some bargain basement marble and the lights you may have seen at Denny's or the very best at the Cheesecake Factory does not a good club make by any stretch of the imagination. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I challenge DC club, bar, and restaurant owners to go to SF, LA, Vegas and NYC and see what really makes places there WORK rather than trying to create pale imitations of them. Ultra Bar serves as a very good example of such a place that could do well to really study those cities... read more

Came here on a Friday night with a group of friends. Wait was about 20-30 minutes. If you're under 21, cover is $20 for guys and girls. Decor is modern and trendy. Liked the different floors, especially the hip-hop floor at the very top. Definitely some creepers trying to grab at you but just wave them off. On the main floor, don't try and dance up on the ledge when the go-go dancers are supposed to be dancing because they will CUT YOU!!! Found that out the hard way. i wouldn't pay $20 again to get in, not worth it. But if there was reduced/free cover, then I'd go again. Or I could just wait until I'm 21 to get in for free. read more

Didn't have wait in the looooooooong line, our friends had a table and bartender hooked it up so didn't pay for any drinks. My version of a great club. VIP was crowded and kinda stinky. read more

This bar is definitely overrated and not worth standing in the super long lines for! The club is super intense inside. It's very crowded and there's a bunch of sketchy, sketchy old guys trying to pick up young girls. The lighting's weird and the layout is weird too. There's the basement bar, the crowded first level, the second level which has seating and small groups of people dancing and then the third floor which is a bar and seating and dancing. Overall, it's confusing. This is one of the easiest bars to lose your friends in as well since there's so many floors and it's so crowded. Overall, I did not have a good time. You wait forever in line to get into the club. The dance floors are crowded and sketchy. And the layout of the whole bar/club is confusing. read more

I do love going out dancing in DC and am always looking for the best places that I can go to time and time again without disappointment. I came here for the first time for an organized, private event. We were on the bedroom level and it was the perfect space for us. The bartender was very friendly, efficient and funny. The DJ played the best music for us and had no problem taking requests. I since have gone there for dancing on a regular Friday or Saturday night, and the other 4 floors are great! A variety of genres on each floor is always good. The only set back is if you are over 30, the 18+ age group may seem a bit overwhelming to you. I now only go if I'm with similar age friends and we check out the level with the highest number of 21+ patrons. read more